The Berries, an inuyasha fanfic

Disclaimer: InuYasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi

-This is an old Inuyasha One Shot LEMON that I never posted here for some reason. Yes, I said Lemon, but it has a actual story to it. You know me, I don't do PWP. Hope you enjoy. Please review

-The Berries-

Kagome looked at the dark green bush, thick and lush, heavy with dark purple berries. They smelled wonderful, givingoff a scent that was like lilac, but not quite as sweet. Like a rose, but more passionate. She had never seen a bush like that in her own time, she carefully studied them, but kept her fingers off. She had learned the night they had encounteredthe sage with the Shikon no Tama shards and human faced fruit to never eat something if you didn't know what it was.

They smelled wonderful though.

"Hey, look at these you guys" she motioned them over

"What are they?" InuYasha said, bending down next to her "I don't think I've ever seen these before."

He leaned over.

"It smells good though."

"What is it?" Sango asked, joining them with Miroku close on her heels.

"Strange berries" Kagome said as Miroku leaned over and shook his head.

"You didn't eat any of these did you?" They shook their heads

"What are they?" InuYasha questioned

Miroku looked around to see where Shippo was. He was near them but looked to be distracted on the other side of the bush

"They are very rare. It's been so long since anyone has seen them they have become more of a legend than anything."

"What are they Miroku?" Sango asked

Miroku blushed

"I don't know the real name for them because they are so rare, but they call them "moeru yokubo kozui"

"Burning lust flood." Kagome repeated quietly to herself

"What the hell is that suppose to mean?" InuYasha asked

"According to the legend eating just one berry makes the person so lustful they burn for attention, but not just anyone's, they will be led to seek the one they desire above all others. Nothing and no one else can satisfy their need, only the one they love. When they come together, well, it is rather, intense. If both of them have had the berry it's said it can take hours, sometimes day's."

Kagome and Sango turned bright red

"Oh My"

they said at the same time

"What a bunch of crap" InuYasha scoffed "Berries that make you need to fuck? But ONLY your true desire can giveyou relief? Give me a break!"

"You asked. I'm just telling you the legend" Miroku said shrugging, he and Sango walked away

"InuYasha" Kagome looked at him disapprovingly

"He's probably just making it all up so he can feed them to Sango later to get her into his bed."

"You don't think it's true?" Kagome said, turning and looking back at the bush again.

"No way."

"We've seen stranger things out here."

"Well……….."

"Just the Shikon no Tama itself makes strange things happen."

"Maybe, but……"

"Well, believe what you want. I for one am glad that I didn't eat any of those berries."

"Why? Not like you have anything to worry about."

She was quiet, too quiet. He rewound the conversation, then winced. He'd done it again, hurt hadn't meant to. It just came out wrong. Why did he always do that to her? He was such an ass, always had his foot in his big mouth. InuYasha waited for a retort. A sit, anything.

He peeked out of the corner of his eye to Kagome's head turned away from him, her eyes on the ground.

"Kagome………"

"Well" she said "I would hate to be left here without protection while you run off looking for Kikyo. So, I'm glad you didn't eat any of them."

A thousand sits couldn't have hurt him more. Her last close call with danger had scared him more than anyone knew. He still couldn't get it out if his mind, even after all this time. The thought of losing her constantly tortured him. The weight of responsibility he carried sometimes threatened to crush him.

Why couldn't she see that?

They were all he had in the world. Even among them, she was the one who really mattered. The others he could make it without if he had to. But not her. Without her, there was nothing. No happiness, no joy, no reason for fighting to keep his humanity. There was no life without her. He lived with the fear of losing her everyday, every hour, every minute, every second. No breaks. No escape.

He lived in constant fear.

He couldn't just slip through a well and make it all go away like she could. He didn't have the luxury of having a bunch of friends like she did, like those giggly nosy girls he'd met. Then there was the bastard who tried to kiss her and gave her presents all the time. Were there others besides him he had to compete with? Just the thought of Kagome with another made his heart begin to ache, and he dealt with it the only way he knew how.

"Not everyone is as lucky as you, you know right where DoDo lives, you don't have to waste any time, just go right over and start fucking."

"HOW DARE YOU! AND HIS NAME IS HOJO…… HO-JO!"

"HOW ABOUT HO-MO?! ! !"

"STOP IT!"

"YOU STARTED IT!"

"I DID NOT !!"

He picked a berry and threw it at her.

"HERE, GO TO HIM THEN!"

"MAYBE I WILL"

"YOU DON'T HAVE THE GUTS!"

"YOU DON'T THINK SO?"

"I KNOW SO!"

"JUST WATCH, I WILL!"

Kagome picked up the berry and walked to where InuYasha stood. He seethed his face inches from hers… She opened her mouth and tossed in the berry, swallowing it whole.

"Am I suppose to care?" he growled softly, suddenly quieting

"Maybe I should just stay here and see where I end up."

Pain surfaced in his eyes.

"Nice and close to Koga huh? That what you de-sssss-iiire?"

InuYasha knew he had gone too far. He had as much as put her into Koga's arms himself.
Kagome turned to the others.

"Sango, may I borrow Kirara?"

"Are you going home Kagome?" Sango asked

"For now."

"Ummm. Sure."

"See you, InuYasha. Maybe."

She stood and climbed on Kirara

"Kagome" he said, he had to stop her, this had gone way too far. He couldn't let her. Kagome looked at InuYasha and her eye's glistened with unshed tears, mixed pain and anger.

"InuYasha" She said quietly, everyone flinched, they knew what was coming...

"SIT!"

InuYasha slammed onto the ground, he screamed at the girl flying into the pink and orange sky.

"KAGOMEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Kagome didn't even turn and look back.

"Bye Kirara" Kagome said, petting the two tail before sending her on her way back to the others.
"Watch over InuYasha for me okay?"

Kirara purred and nuzzled Kagome's hand with her nose in response, then lifted up and took off into the early evening sky.
Kagome sat down on the side of the well and turned and jumped in, coming out on the other side.
As luck would have it her family was gone. It was the first day of the weekend and they had all gone visitingfamily in another city. They wouldn't be back for days. She would have plenty of time to lick her wounds. That was why she chose to come home in the first place. She knew the house would be empty. She filled the bathtub and poured in an extra big portion of scented bubble bath. She sank down onto the water, shutting it off with her big toe. She was miserable. She hated fighting with InuYasha. Why did he always have to remind her of how unattractive she was to him? How undesirable? She knew she wasn't ugly, it was just that Kikyo was so, so, beautiful.

How could she dream of competing with that? Kikyo was his first friend, his first love, the first person he let into his heart and trusted with his soul. There was nothing Kagome could give him, be to him that Kikyo hadn't already been. There was nothing that Kikyo still wasn't. She was his everything, his life.

"Oh InuYasha" She said out loud "If only there was some part of you Kikyo couldn't claim. Some first you hadn't given her."

She dunked her head under water, wetting her hair and brushing it back, blowing bubbles in the water for a minutebefore surfacing. She felt odd. Sort of dizzy. But not a sick kind of dizzy. She opened her eyes and looked at the water. One of her hands rested on a breast, fingertips atop a nipple. The other lay on her pelvic bone, longing to inch downward. She sighed and lifted a leg to rest on the side of the tub allowing her hand to complete the journey.

A short time later, she panted heavily, she was alone in the house, and she let herself cry out as her orgasm overtook her.
She took a deep breath and relaxed back against the cool tiles.

And she remembered.

"Oh shit."

"It's too bad Kagome went home" Miroku was saying, looking pointedly at InuYasha. "This is wonderful Sango."

"Thank you." She smiled, blushing a little. "Shippo helped me collect the ingredients. Who knew we had so much on hand. It was nice of Kagome to leave her things for us to use, since she went home so unexpectedly."

"Yes. Kagome usually does the cooking doesn't she? She does a nice job too. We should be more grateful to her."

"YES WE SHOULD" Shippo yelled loudly, looking and sneering directly at InuYasha

InuYasha sat across the fire from them and growled.

"Why don't you just come out and say it you two?"

"Say what?" They said in unison

"What you always say. "Go get Kagome, InuYasha, go apologize to Kagome, InuYasha, it's all your fault InuYasha. "he mimicked rather accurately.

"But you should go get her and apologize InuYasha." Sango Said

"And it IS all your fault InuYasha!" Shippo said, throwing down his bowl and going to crawl into Kagome's empty

bedding.

"Would you guys knock it off? You heard her. You saw what she did!"

"After you pushed her into it!" Sango said

"You accused her of wanting to have relations with that boy from her time AND Koga, InuYasha. You as much as called her a…….." Miroku said softly, whispering the rest in InuYasha's ear because Shippo was still awake and listening.

InuYasha gasped "I would never call Kagome that!"

"You may as well have." Miroku shook his head as Sango gathered the empty bowls.

"Well, I didn't mean to. Besides, what about what she said? Saying I would leave her unprotected to go to to……to………..FEH!"

"You wouldn't?" Miroku asked

"Of course not!"

"You always have before"

"That was before! And I would never leave her to do THAT!"

"She's unprotected right now. And she ate the berry. No telling what she's doing right now" Sango shook her head.

"Or who she's with." Miroku said

"What's that suppose to mean?" InuYasha growled

"Wonder if she even went to the well?" Sango said "Right now she could be all alone here hiding out in some cavesomewhere, or at home alone "

"Or not alone." Miroku supplied

InuYasha couldn't help the picture that flashed in his head. Kagome in some bastards arms, letting him kiss her, touch her, make love to her. He turned red, and shot to his feet.

"Just leave me the hell alone!"

Miroku and Sango grinned at one another over the fire and Miroku winked.

"Miroku you don't really think Kagome would….?" Sango whispered watching InuYasha stomp away

"Kagome? Never! But, someone has to make him see how stupid he's being."

InuYasha stomped away from the fire and jumped into the first tree he came to. He settled on a branch and glared at the ones below him. Why couldn't they just mind their own business? Why did they have to torture him like this every time he and Kagome argued? He closed his eyes and tried to sleep.

Everything from his toenails to the tips of his silver hair screamed at him to go to her, to stay with her, be the one loving her, letting her love him. His body throbbed with his need, his desire for her. He wanted her, but, things were so complicated. This wasn't something he could do and then forget about. And even if he could, he didn't want to forget about her. Ever. If he let himself be with her it would be forever. It was what he wanted, but could he do it now? Was it fair to either of them to do it while his past still loomed between them?
He was going to lose her if I didn't.

He couldn't go to her.

Could he? Just to check on her?

No way. What if he got there and she was…..wasn't alone?

He had to. Tonight. Now.

What if she wasn't there, hadn't gone through the well at all? What about Koga? Had she left him and gone to Koga?

"InuYasha?" Her voice drifted up to him sweetly, quietly

"Kagome?"

He jumped down from the tree

"You came back." He reached for her hand. "Kagome, I didn't mean to….."

She put her hand on his lips

"I came for my things, and to say goodbye."

"Goodbye? But Kagome…you can't."

"You did me a favor InuYasha. Making me mad and goading me into eating that berry. I found who I really belongwith. We mated and I'm with child."

He looked down at her swollen stomach

"Kagome! No! You can't be, it's too…."

"You always said demons aren't like humans." she giggled "You were right."

"Demons?"

She bent and picked up her things and turned. "Bye InuYasha." she waved and started to walk away

"Kagome….Who?"

She pointed to the bushes. she smiled and walked into his arms. He held her and caressedher stomach, sneering at InuYasha over her head.

InuYasha was horrified and opened his mouth to stop them but nothing came out. He reached for Tetsusiaga, but it wouldn't be removed from the sheath. He couldn't move. He could only stand and watch as Kagome kept walking away.

InuYasha woke up barely hanging onto the branch. A couple more inches and he would have fallen outcompletely. He let go and dropped. He hit the ground and raced to the well, trying desperately to outrun the image of

Kagome with Naraku.

Kagome's breathing returned to normal and she lay against her pillows trying to relax. Fighting the need was proving useless. It was hot and she threw off her tangled blankets, sat up and opened her window reached for her nightgown at the foot of the bed, pulled it on, and headed for the stairs.

She plopped down on the floor and lay on a pillow, only turning a small light on and reached for the TV remote. It seemed every channel she flipped to someone had just had sex, was in the middle of sex, about to have sex, or trying to have sex. Even the sports channel was showing a sexy commercial for men's cologne. She shut the TV off with a groan and lay back, her head on another pillow. At least it was cooler down here than in her room.

She pulled over another pillow, crossed her arms behind her head and shut her eyes. She moaned as the first tiny twinge started to come over her. So soon. Maybe if she tried again to sleep she could out sleep this affliction.

InuYasha looked at the house. All was dark and quiet. He didn't know if that was good or bad, either she was sleeping, not home, or not alone. He refused to think about the last two and he reached the house in acouple of jumps. He saw her window open. That meant she was either sleeping or……..

He made the jump to her window, slid it open and a strange scent overwhelmed his nose.

Had she been with someone? He sniffed. He didn't think he smelled anyone else, but, he had never smelled a mortal man's excitement, he wouldn't know the smell. He jumped in the window and climbed in. Her usually neat as a pin room was a mess. The clothes she had worn that day were rolled up and carelessly tossed in a corner, underclothes on top. Her bed was a mess. He had only seen it so tangled and messy once, after he had fallen asleep there and she had shared her bed with him. Something clutched at his chest and he sank down near her pillows. He touched them, feeling the dampness. He picked up her pillow, lifting it to his nose, he sniffed and recognized her. An intoxicating mixture of sweat and her usual sweetness. He sighed and put his head in its softness. Was he too late? Had he chased her into someone else's arms? Was he going to lose his last chance at happiness because of his anger and damn mouth? How could he have been so stupid?

A sound from downstairs caught his attention and he looked towards the door. It had to be Kagome. He stood, dropping the pillow back on the bed and walked towards the door, as he pushed the door open she moaned loudly. InuYasha's spine went weak. What if she was with someone? Could he just quietly leave her? Could he resist the urge to kill whoever was making her make that sound?
Hell no, he'd rip his fucking throat out. He shook his head. He didn't have much choice. He debated for a minute returning to the well, leaving, but he had come too far to turn back now. He had to know. Her moans were becoming louder, like they were coming from deeper within. His body was responding with his own excitement, he felt himself growing larger.

He reached the top of the stairs and took a deep breath. He stepped down the first few steps, seeing nothing because the wall was in the way. He began to be overcome by her scent on the next three, stronger and heavier than in her room, but still he could see nothing. He knew the next few steps would bring her in sight so he sat on the stairs so she wouldn't see him.
He slid down so he could see into the room, but closed his eyes, putting off the inevitable. Needing to know, but afraid to know at the same time. He took a deep breath again and her scent nearly made him moan out his own need. He leaned forward, opening his eyes.

Kagome lay on the floor, nightgown pushed up to her neck, legs spread wide apart. One hand caressed a hard crimson nipple, the other moved between her legs. Her head rested on a small pile of pillows, her hair flowing over and around them. The room was dark except for small lamp on the table in the corner. A subtle shadow was cast over where InuYasha hid. Now sure that she was alone, he relaxed and slid down a few more stairs to see into the room better. He knew that he should leave, that if she caught him watching she would "sit" him until his head flew off his shoulders but he didn't care. In that time and that place he was able to love her the way longed to. Not sometime in the future when his past was resolved, but here and now. He slid down a couple more stairs, and became a willing voyeur.

He watched, enthralled with her body. Memorizing every soft curve and angle. She was so beautiful and his fingers throbbed with the desire to touch. He reached out with shaking hands and held on tight to the spindles, clutching them in sweating hands. Her moans had turned into small cries as her hand and hips matched in time and movement.

He needed to be closer, and he moved to the bottom stair so he could watch her from the landing. He was in the open now, she had only to open her eyes and she would see him. He didn't care. He needed to be a part of this, of her.
His hand reached down and untied his hoari and he removed it, letting it lay where it fell. Then untied the sash for his sword, letting that fall too, taking his sword and setting it gently on the floor so it made no noise.

He went to his hands and knees; he had to go to her.

Silently he crawled to her, stopping now and then to take deep breaths of air. He could smell her excitement and swiftly approaching orgasm. He felt himself growing hard, his flesh throbbing for release from the boundaries of his hakema. He made a small whimper in his throat and it was enough to alert her to his presence.

She pulled her hands away from herself and sat up, her body suddenly covered by her nightgown.

He went to her, crossing the rest of the distance in haste.

"InuYasha?" She said it softly, just slightly more than a whisper. He knelt in front of her and bent his head low and took her lips with his own.

"What are you………"

"Shhh…" He plunged into her mouth with his lips and tongue, tasting her as he had longed to for so long; from the moment, he first opened his eyes at the end of his fifty-year sleep.

He felt his nose being drawn downward by her scent, he longed to linger at her lips, yet the calling was irresistible. He pulled her nightgown up again. He kissed and licked his way down her chin and neck, stopping at her breasts to suckle her nipples for a moment, then continued down. Her hands massaged his shoulders and encouraged his movement.
He lay on the floor before her and she opened her legs for him. InuYasha took a deep breath and felt his head swim. He had smelled her before, but it had always been hindered by clothing and distance, now only inches away from thesource with nothing in the way it was almost more than his senses could take.

He caressed her upper legs and outer lips with his fingers while he waited for his mind to find its center of control once again. If he lost control and hurt her …………….. He couldn't bear the thought. Not now, when he finally admitted to himself what she was to him.
Slowly, gently he leaned forward and took a small taste of her. Then a bigger one. Her flavor exploded in him and he couldn't get enough of her. He pulled her legs over his shoulders and pressed his face into her so he could stick his tongue inside of her as far as possible while he sucked on the flesh outside, careful to not touch her with his fangs.

It became harder and harder, the more he got the more he wanted, she pulled at his hair and pressed his head firmly against her with all her strength and when her orgasm burst forth there was a rush of her that nearly sent him over the edge, he licked and suckled at her as if he were starving , making her scream and shake uncontrollably.

Gently he slid her legs off his shoulders, He reached down and picked her up, he carried her up the stairs to her room . He sat her on the bed, pulled her nightgown over her head. He pushed her gently to her back while he deepened the kiss. Quickly he removed the rest of his own clothing; he needed to feel her skin against him. He touched her, wrapping his arms around her, pulling her so they lay upright against her pillows. He lay on his side, halfway over her and held her tightly to him. He lay quietly, giving her time to question his motives and reasons for coming to her, but she didn't speak. Her hands kept a steady pressure as she touched him in places he had scarcely dared to dream she ever would.

Kagome pushed him onto his back and straddled him, so her breasts rested over his chest. He reached his hands up to caress the hard nipples, urging her closer and lifting his head so he could put them in his mouth. She reached down and her hand circled his penis, she pointed it to her opening and sat back until he had entered her part way, then she put her hands on his chest, making slow grinding motions against him, taking him a little at a time. He felt himself break through her barrier.

InuYasha held back, biting his lip until he drew blood as a distraction. He wouldn't hurt her. He wouldn't allow it. A small trickle of blood ran down the corner of his mouth to his chin . She lowered her face and kissed the side of hismouth, licking the blood away. He rested his hands on her hips, sliding her up and down until the wetness betweenthem eased the effort greatly, though he still wasn't completely inside of her.

"InuYasha…"

"Kagome.."

"Fuck me InuYasha" She growled, almost savagely,

InuYasha sat up with her, wrapping his arms around her back and sitting against the wall.

"Kagome………I don't want to hurt…………."

"Just …..Just fuck me okay?"

He lifted her and she came down on him fast, slamming the last inch or two into her, making her scream in delight.

"Like that?" he asked

"Yes." She nodded furiously, making her breasts bounce.

InuYasha lifted her until he was almost all the way out and then slammed himself back in again over and over, repeatedly and she pulled at his hair and scratched his neck, screaming out in pleasure with each thrust Kagome moved over him, surprising him with the fury of her need.

"Kagome……I……….fuck, your killing me……..

"InuYasha?"

"Don't. Don't stop."

She threw her head back and he leaned forward to bite at her neck, moaning with pleasure.

"I don't think I can hold out much longer Kagome. …..you're…… so…oh Kagome." He moaned, wanting to cry for sheer joy at the emotion of the moment. He had never felt so close to anyone, so in sync.

"InuYASHA!" She screamed out his name, it was growing deep inside, fighting its way to the surface. She had pleasured herself , sure, but it was nothing, nowhere close to this. He lifted his hips and arched his back and an explosion began somewhere inside of them and sent shockwaves through to their fingertips and the ends of their toes. She felt her muscles squeeze as he pulsed inside of her. He wrapped his arms around her and held her to his chest, both struggling to catch their breath.

"What just happened here?" Kagome said, her head lay on InuYasha's shoulder, her fingers wrapped in his hair twirling and twisting. InuYasha, arms tightly around her kissed her shoulder then looked at her with a mischievous glimmer in his eyes.

"See you have boys, and then you have girls. Boys have penises and girls have ………."

"I know that!" she said giving his hair a gentle tug and frown "But I meant specifically"

"Well, when the boy finds a girl they, what did you say again? Oh yeah, "Fuck me InuYasha" InuYasha grinned,

mimicking her .

Kagome's face turned dark red, sadness filled her heart as a new realization came to her.

"InuYasha……….." she tried to use her voice to make him understand her fear. But he couldn't hear. He was too happy.

"It's always the quiet ones." He shook his head then, smiled and kissed her.

She pulled away looking for her nightgown in the tangle of sheets. She found it and put it on.

"Where are you going?" He asked, a look of pain flashed in his eyes.

"Bathroom."

InuYasha sat back against the pillows. Was she sorry now? Did she regret making love with him? He didn't, not for a second. He had wanted her for almost as long as he had known her. He never acted on his feelings before, why? There was just too much mess in the middle, and he wasn't a man who liked mess and clutter. But being here felt right, being with Kagome was his destiny. He loved her. Was he too late now that he was able to admit it?

Kagome shut bathroom door and turned on the faucet over the sink. Then she dissolved into tears, sinking down on the side of the bathtub. What had she done? How could she have had sex with InuYasha, knowing that he didn't love her, knowing full well that she was just a stand in for Kikyo. He had been fucking Kagome, like he said, making love had nothing to do with it. It was just….sex.
Now what was she to do? Make the best of things and go on? She couldn't just pretend it didn't happen. Could she?InuYasha seemed to be able to, if he could, why couldn't she?

"Kagome?" InuYasha knocked and opened the door. "Are you ………."

She looked up at him, her eyes glistened in the dim light cast through the window from the moonlight outside.

"Kagome? What's wrong?" He stood beside her, brushing his knuckles over her cheek.

"Nothing" she said, trying to pretend that she hadn't been crying.

"This is me your talking to." he knelt down in front of her and took her hands He pulled her down to him so he could hold her against him. His hands stroked her skin and she felt the passion reawake. She bent her head and kissed his neck and shoulder, shifting onto her knees to kneel against him. Her breasts rubbed against his face and he caught a hard nipple with his mouth and stroked it with his tongue.
"InuYasha.." She moaned, pulling him down to the floor on top of her.

"Won't you be cold?" He questioned, feeling the hard cold ceramic tiles on his legs.

"Hardly" She smiled softly, pulling him the rest of the way on top of her. She felt him already hard against her and shifted slightly to meet his probing fingers and tip.

"Oh God….Kagome" He moaned as he slid inside of her, much easier this time than the first. "You feel so…….."

His voice caught and he was unable to finish as he felt the pleasure of being surrounded by her warmth.

"What?" she whispered

"Warm……..good…." he struggled to find the right word "Right." he said feeling himself shudder. He began to move his hips slowly, careful not to rush her.

"You do too." She said, gasping in pleasure at the absence of the uncomfortable ness from the first time.

"Are you….does it hurt?" He asked

"Oh, no…you…it's good." She said wrapping her legs around him and thrusting her hips into his.

He moved carefully against her until their need drove them to thrust violently against one another. He slammed into her repeatedly driving her to the edge of sanity, holding himself back until he felt her begin to tremble underneath him. She bit his shoulder trying to hold back a scream, she felt him start to climax and a scream was torn from her throat as he came deep inside of her.
They lay close, still connected, the only sound was their breathing, still coming short and hard. Kagome movedslightly and felt the cold tiles under her, reminding her she was in the bathroom and why she had fled there in the first place.

Her hands went limp against his back and fresh tears cut a path down her cheeks

"Kagome?" He rolled to the side so he could rest on his elbow and look down at her.
"Something's wrong….it was before too."

She shook her head.

He kissed her softly "Please tell me." He whispered, his voice sounding very sad.

She shrugged, trying to pretend it was no big deal.

"Nothing, it's just that…..that…….this…..I"

"What's ?"

"I'd never had sex before…"

"Kagome? Oh God……..……..Did I hurt you?" he whispered, pulling back a bit to look at her in horror and shame.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean ……No, you didn't hurt me." She shook her head
He looked relieved and cuddled closer to her again, but he quickly clouded in confusion. He sat up and pulled her up to sit next to him, holding her hands.

"I don't understand."

"I'm just, I'm not as experienced as you are I guess. I'm not use to this kind of thing."

"Just how experienced do you think I am?" He frowned at her, a bad feeling coming into his gut. He didn't like the direction this seemed to be taking.

"I, I don't know. Maybe being male makes it easier to do it….. without love, just for sex, but I….."

"You think that….." He gaped at her, speechless for a minute. What the hell did she think this was? InuYasha stood, abruptly dropping her on the floor.

"You….. baka!"

"InuYasha?"

"I don't believe you….." He turned and stomped into the bedroom, swiping at the light switch. He picked up his pants and robe from the floor and put them on, fastening the ties and tucking it into his pants.

"InuYasha?" Kagome stood behind him in the doorway. He turned and stomped down the stairs and returned a second later with his hoari and the Tetsusiaga. He shoved the sword into his sash and opened the window wider.

"You think that I came here so I could get a meaningless fuck?"

"I………don't understand, why you came."

"Why do you think?" he sneered at her from the window. "Why else would I come to you in the middle of the night Kagome? Why else would I m……."

"I don't know. I don't understand why you would come to me when it's Kikyo that you love. I just…..don't……."

"Did I go look for Kikyo?" he said it quietly, shaking his head "You don't understand a damn thing." He jumped out of the window and by the time she ran to the window he was gone.

Kagome sank down onto the bed feeling the tears rising in her throat. She lay down and pulled the sheets over her. She could still smell him in her bed; his wild forest scent surrounded her. She lay completely still, able to feel the ghost of his lips and fingers on her skin. She let the tears come and allowed them to carry her to sleep.

InuYasha let his feet dangle over the limb on the tree across the yard from Kagome's bedroom window. His hearing was excellent, he had heard every one of her tears, and the mournful sobs nearly killed him. How he had longed to return to her. But he couldn't. Not yet. He needed time.

She had hurt him, she had hurt him badly.

She had thought, actually thought that he would use her for sex. It was more than that though. What did that say about the kind of man she thought he was? Didn't she understand that he had taken a big risk going to her? Letting himself love her outwardly for the first time, instead of keeping his love hidden inside . Why didn't she understand? Why couldn't she see? Instead she saw the same thing she usually saw, she saw Kikyo. It was as if she used Kikyo to keep a wedge between them , just as he had. But Kikyo was dead. Even if her spirit still walked the earth in a false body, she was dead. And keeping her alive and between them was doing neither of them any good. It was time to move on. It was time to move on together.

He had known that for awhile now. But had he told Kagome that?

Had he told her anything that would lead her to think anything besides what she had assumed that night? How long had he let her believe that she was nothing but a jewel detector, before he finally let her know that he cared if she livedor died? Months? A year? Why wouldn't she just assume she was being used as a stand in for Kikyo? He had nevergiven her any reason to think differently.
InuYasha swung his leg over the tree branch and let himself drop to the ground. He walked across the yard and leaptback to her window, hoping that she hadn't locked him out. He wouldn't blame her if she had. To his relief the window slid open easily. He jumped in and slid the window shut without waking her.

Her face was lit softly from the moonlight outside; stray tendrils of hair covered her face. InuYasha knelt down tosit on his knees next to her, He reached out his finger to tuck them back behind her ear. Slowly her eyes blinked open. She didn't sit up, just lay with her head on her pillow blinking, afraid if she moved it would be a dream. InuYasha brushed her cheek with his knuckles and felt a single stray tear roll down his cheek to rest in the corner of his mouth. He licked it away then opened his mouth to speak.

"After we argued this afternoon, I was afraid. I thought that I had pushed you so far away that you would never return. I had to know I hadn't pushed you to another. I can't stand the idea of anyone else touching you. You are the only woman I have ever made love to. You're the only woman I ever want to make love to."

Kagome smiled shyly and took his hand "InuYasha…I'm sorry…, I thought…"

"I know. I forgot to tell you that I love you."

"InuYasha…" He kissed her and she moved over making room for him on the bed. He wrapped her tightly in his arms and held her close to him. When he broke the kiss she sighed,

"I love you"

Epilogue

Two Days Later

"Well, look who's finally come back" Miroku said with a knowing wink and grin as InuYasha and Kagome walked hand in hand back into the camp.

"I missed you Kagome," Shippo said bouncing to her side and into her arms.

"I missed you too Shippo" she smiled

"Are you ready to get a move on?" InuYasha asked anxious to get on the move and make up for lost time.

"Time well spent, granted." he mused to himself, smiling over at Kagome while she talked with Sango and Shippo.
The last two days had been wonderful, they had been together. No demons, no pasts, no entourage to interrupt InuYasha and Kagome alone together, getting to know this whole other part of one another. In his tradition she was his mate now, and he intended it to be for life. In due time they would be joined in her tradition.

"Ready when you are" Miroku chuckled "You want to stop by the "moeru yokubo kozui" bush before we leave?"

"Yes, I certainly do." InuYasha grinned looking over at Kagome with a nod, she nodded in agreement

"InuYasha, you don't seriously mean to…."Miroku said, his face dejected as InuYasha took Tetsusiaga from its sheath and waited for it to transform.

"You bet your ass I do." He scowled, assuming the familiar stance.

"KAZE NO KIZZZZZUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU"

Miroku looked like he wanted to cry as the bush was obliterated. Shippo grinned. Miroku had nothing to worry about, he had only hidden one berry in InuYasha's dinner that night.

He still had one left for Sango, for when the time was right.